Thursday, October 14, 2010


Five things to love about fall
1. Homeschooling the kids (Wait,that happens all year long...)
2. The bee-yoo-tee-full fall foilage.
3. Hot apple cider steaming on the stove.
4. kisses from five year olds (wait, that happens all year long...)
5. Watching kids play in the leaves

Monday, October 4, 2010


"Cultivating a thankful heart in your child." Sounds like a great book title, doesn't it? I am not writing it, I am looking for it. One of my children seems to be having some trouble being grateful for anything in his life these days, and this cultivation is my new goal... Granted, cultivation takes time, and the seeds don't grow right away....

Seed #1 Got a kids book from the library, Casey, the greedy cowboy. He has all this cowboy stuff and just wants more. His mom gives him the "you have so much already, be grateful" speech, but he just gets angry. While he's angry, he finds a poster for the rodeo and forgetting all else, asks if mom and dad will take him. The parents agree, and at the rodeo, Casey sees a "kid cowboy" and thinks "wow, that's the life for me." then he discovers how sad and lonely the kid is because he has no family. Casey is immediately thankful for all he has, including his new friend.

My child's take-away lesson from all this--"Mom, if I find a poster for a rodeo, will you take me? Puh-leeze...."

Seed #2 Telling God what we are thankful for before bed. Mom's prayer, "Dear God, we are thankful for our salvation, our family and our friends, and our beds and pillows.."
Child's prayer, "Dear God, I am NOT thankful it is bedime. AMEN!"

Anybody got any more seeds for me here?